This invention relates to a caliper brake and more particularly to a new and improved pin mounted sliding caliper brake.
In off-highway disc brakes there may be employed a sliding caliper with pistons only on one side of the disc or a pair of opposed pistons wherein each opposed piston controls the application of the braking forces and with the corresponding result that the braking forces are transferred to the caliper housing that supports the opposed pistons. Such caliper housing is mounted rigidly such that the operational deflections are absorbed by the moveable pistons on each side of the caliper. In this type of construction, additional stops and pins or rail mechanisms must be employed to transfer the braking forces from the brake linings to the caliper. In lieu of this construction a sliding caliper arrangement is used to lower the cost of machining for the dual piston structure where twice as many pistons are necessary to machine as well as service. The latter arrangement also requires a smaller envelope and is particularly useful where there is a space limitation because of the dual opposing piston arrangement. The sliding caliper construction is lighter in weight requiring less machining and eliminates the extra bleeding of the chambers for the dual pistons.
The present invention is directed to a pin mounted sliding caliper type brake structure wherein the caliper is mounted on a round pin which guides the sliding caliper from side to side. Such construction allows the torque loading to be transferred to the vehicle chassis through the round pin mounting. An elastomeric rail snubber which is axially deformable is used to assist in the retracting of the brake pistons on release of the braking operation. Such elastomeric snubber also permits adjusting for wear of the brake lining. The structure of the instant invention permits easy access to the internal structure and permits complete access to the linings for their service and replacement in a facile manner.